A Love That Frosts Over Like Ice
by Roxius
Summary: Hana Asakura and Tao Men have never really gotten along, and in a way, they're almost like brothers. But...does one of them feel more than just a rivalry towards the other? Hana Asakura X Tao Men. Yaoi that doesn't happen. Please R & R!


Disclaimer: I do not own Shaman King.

A/N: Since the 'Shaman King: Flowers' chapter is not translated, and I can't read Japanese, I'm just sort of making it up when it comes to Hana's and Men's personalities, okay? I don't think Hana would be angry all the time, so he's mainly calm for most of this, okay?

Alot of other shit is made up in this, too...

* * *

_Dear Mr. Diary,_

_My name is Tao Men. I am mainly of Chinese descent, although my mother was born in France. I have been living in the Asakura household for several months, as I commute from here to my school. I do not see my father often, and my mother, whenever she does visit, seems to have rather masochistic tendencies. It worries me sometimes. _

_In any case, before I write anything of any ACTUAL interest, however, allow me to state something first: I despise stupid people above all else._

_And Hana Asakura is probably the stupidest person I have ever had the unfortunate privilege of meeting. _

* * *

"Hey!! Don't write that about me in your diary, you bastard!!!" Hana Asakura shouted loudly into Tao Men's ear.

"Why are you even reading it?! This is my personal diary!!! Besides...it's the goddamn truth!!!" Tao Men snapped back, jabbing the bottom-end of his spear against Hana's cheek.

"In any case, who even writes a diary entry like that?! Nobody normal, as far as I know!!"

"SHUT YOUR FILTHY MOUTH!!!"

Just as Men was about to smash his fist into Hana's face, a soft, yet frightening, voice spoke up from behind them. "Boys...what do you think you are doing?"

Hana's blood instantly ran cold, and all of the color drained from Men's face. Slowly, the two boys turned to see Tamao Tamamura, Hana's surrogate mother and the inn's famous enka singer, smiling sweetly back at them. As usual, she was wearing a long, beautiful pink kimono adorned with flower patterns. Although there was a grin on her face, Hana and Men could both clearly see the demonic aura flowing off of her body.

"Are you the ones making all that noise just now?" she asked.

Hana gulped. "Uh..."

"GO OUTSIDE."

"...Huh?"

"I SAID," Tamao's eyes snapped wide open, and her voice suddenly became very low, "IF YOU'RE GOING TO ACT LIKE A COUPLE OF BRATS, DO IT OUTSIDE."

"...Y...Y...Y..."

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY, HANA ASAKURA?"

"Y...Y...YES, MA'AM!!! I'LL BE GOING NOW!!! S-SEE YA!!!!"

Instinctively grabbing Tao Men by the hand, Hana dashed out the door as fast as his legs could carry him. Smiling again, Tamao nodded her head slightly, and calmly made her way back into the kitchen...

* * *

"Phew...that...that was close!" Hana let out a breath of relief. He had run at least three whole blocks without stopping even once. He had hoped he would have grown somewhat used to Tamao's mood swings by now.

"...You idiot..." mumbled a voice from beside him.

"What?"

"LET GO OFF MY HAND ALREADY!!" Tao Men shouted, his entire face beet-red. Hana glanced down, and saw that he and Men were indeed still holding hands. Muttering a small apology, Hana pulled his hand away, and the two boys sat down on the curb together, staring off into the distance. Neither of them said a word; Men's hand still tingled from the incredible warmth he felt from Hana's touch. Hana looked like he was deep in thought.

"Hey, Men..."

"At least add '-kun' to the end, you fool. We're not that close..."

"About that dairy entry of yours..."

"Yeah?"

"...Do you really think I'm an idiot?" Hana asked. For some reason, although it may have just been Men's imagination, but he sounded a bit hurt that someone would write such a thing about him.

Men was about to reply, but then he stopped, and actually thought about it for a while. "...You're not a total moron, I suppose..."

"Really now?" A slight, mischievous grin broke out on Hana's lips.

"W-Well...I mean, you're definitely smarter than Ponchi and Konchi!!" Men quickly added in.

Hana rolled his eyes. "Pheh...isn't everyone?" he asked hypothetically.

Another minute of awkward silence passed between them.

"Hey, Men, since we probably can't go back to the house until dinner, I have another very important question for you..."

"...What?"

Hana pointed over to a small ice cream store just across the street. "Do you want some ice cream?"

Men fell forwards in a comical fashion, hitting his head against the pavement. "I...ICE CREAM?!!"

* * *

Tao Men heaved a heavy sigh as he and Hana stepped out of the store, ice cream cones in hand. Men had gotten mint, while Hana had ordered chocolate with rainbow sprinkles.

'Damn him...suggesting ice cream as if he was offering to buy it, but then he still has me pay for my own cone...' Men thought, running his small tongue up alongside the creamy sphere in an attempt to keep it from dripping. Hana was doing the same thing. The sun was beginning to sink down behind the mountains now, casting the sky in an ethereal orange glow. A loud caw echoed through the air.

"Hmmm..." Hana pursed his lips for a moment.

"What is it?" Men asked.

"It's just," he began to speak rather slowly, making up the words along the way, "You're selfish, egotistical, rude, short, annoying, ridiculously strong..."

"Are you insulting me...besides for that last part?!!"

"We always fight, we can't agree, we have totally opposite likes and dislikes..."

"Just what are you getting at, Hana-san?!"

Hana closed his eyes. "In a way...you're like the little brother I never had."

Tao Men let out a gasp, his entire face lighting up. "R...Really?" He had never really thought about it before, but neither he nor Hana had any siblings. He could feel his heartbeat rapidly picking up speed. He didn't really understand why Hana's statement was affecting him this way, but he was too intent on hearing the older boy's next words to worry about it.

Suddenly, Hana broke out into a light chuckle, and his eyes shot open. "NO, NOT REALLY."

A moment later, the blonde-haired boy was being chased down the street by a very pissed-off Chinese kid wielding a spear and the spirit of a Chinese Warlord. Their ice cream cones were left lying, forgotten, on the sidewalk.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!! BASON...OVER-SOUL!!!" 'I can't believe this douchebag...getting me so excited like that!' Men thought to himself.

'Hmph...there's no way I can really tell him,' Hana thought at the same time, as he began to pull the Futsu-no-Mitama no Tsurugi from his back-pocket, 'The truth of how I really feel...so, it's best if we just remain frenemies as it is...it's better this way, and no one will get hurt...'

"AMIDAMARU...OVER-SOUL INTO FUTSU-NO-MITAMA NO TSURUGI!!!"

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When the two boys finally returned to the inn, they were both badly injured and covered in dirt and blood. Tamao was even more furious with them than before, and both Hana and Men had to sleep outside that night...


End file.
